Dolly Parton rocked covers of two classic Queen power anthems in a new music video to promote coverage of the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
The 77-year-old country icon’s video features “We Are The Champions/We Will Rock You,” which will be included on Parton’s forthcoming album, “Rockstar.”
As a “huge fan of the Olympics and Team USA,” Parton was inspired to create an Olympic-themed video for the song that “celebrates the athletes and gets people excited about next year’s Games in Paris,” a press release said.
“I love the Olympics! I do my best to plan my schedule to watch as much of it as I possibly can,” the “Jolene” hitmaker said.
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Dolly Parton rocked covers of two Queen power anthems in a new music video to promote the 2024 Olympics. (Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
“I tape it just in case I miss the live action on a certain day and watch it back as soon as possible.
“I laugh, I cry, I scream. There are no losers in the Olympics as they have all spent a lifetime preparing. But I celebrate with the ones that go away with the gold, silver and bronze medals.”
In the video, for which Parton teamed up with NBCUniversal, Dolly belts out her rendition of Queen’s “We Are The Champions” before transitioning to the iconic British rock band’s “We Will Rock You.” Both songs were featured on Queen’s mega-hit sixth studio album, “News of the World,” which was released in 1977. And the two have become sports arena music staples.
As the video opens, the singer is clad in a rhinestone-studded white ensemble as she sits alone in the bleachers of a stadium. She later appears in a series of metallic sequinned dresses while performing below the Eiffel Tower.
The 77-year-old’s cover of “We Are The Champions/We Will Rock You” will be featured on her upcoming album, “Rockstar.” (Mike Marsland/WireImage)
The video includes clips of highlights from past Olympic Games, featuring Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Noah Lyles, Katie Ledecky, the U.S. women’s soccer team, the U.S. men’s and women’s basketball teams and a number of international athletes.
As the video concludes, Parton is surrounded by a crowd at the stadium that joined her in singing the choruses of the rock anthems while clapping along.
NBCUniversal Entertainment and Sports CMO Jenny Storms praised Parton as “an American Icon whose popularity and recognition across generations is unmatched.”
The forthcoming album marks the country icon’s first foray into the rock genre. (Sam Hodde/Getty Images for ABA)
“We Are The Champions/We Will Rock You” is the second single to be released off Parton’s “Rockstar” album, which will debut Nov. 17.
The 30-song album marks the legendary singer’s first foray into the rock genre. “Rockstar,” which is Parton’s 49th solo studio album, features nine original songs and 21 covers.
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The Tennessee native was inspired to produce a rock album after she was nominated to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which she respectfully declined initially.
“I never thought of myself as a rock star,” she said after receiving the nomination.
“I found out later that they give it to you if you’ve influenced other people. I found out more about it. But I had said at the start I didn’t want to accept it because I didn’t think I’d earned it. And still ain’t sure.”
Parton said she was inspired to make the album after she was nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. (Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty Images)
In November, Parton took the stage at the 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Los Angeles, where she accepted the honor.
“I thought, ‘Well, if they wanna give it to me anyhow, I’m going to accept it gracefully,'” Parton explained during a December appearance on “Today.” “And then I’m gonna go ahead and do a rock album and just make the most of it.”
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Parton enlisted over 40 artists to collaborate on the album. Musical guests include Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Miley Cyrus, Lizzo, Sting, Chris Stapleton, Debbie Harry, Pink, Brandi Carlile, Elton John, John Fogerty, Joan Jett, Kid Rock, Steven Tyler and Peter Frampton.
“I really think it’s some of the best work I’ve ever done,” Parton said on “Today.” “I think so. Only because it’s different for me. I wanted it to be.”
